Apparatus for shaping flat cups



April 29, 1941. s. M. s'coTT 2,240,165

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING FLAT CUPS Filed April 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F1 1 Q U 9 l 0 o I o o O \nvenTor.

Sidney I LScoTT bym WzW April 29, 1941.- s. M. SCOTT 2,240,165

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING FLAT CUPS Filed April 18, 1940 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \hven'for.

Sidney NLScofl byiuwd MIW AYTys.

Patented Apr. 2 9, 19 41 UNITED STATES 2,240,155 APPARATUS FOR SHAPING FLAT ours Sidney M. Scott,-Needham, Mass., assignor to Boston Envelope Company, Dedham, Mass, a corporation of. Massachusetts Application April 18, 1940, Serial No.330,249

7 Claims.

fiat cups while the adhesive uniting the over- 1Q lapping edges is drying and to give the cups of the stack a partially open form so that. when the adhesive is fully dried, the cup will have been given a permanent shape in which both sides thereof are curved outwardly slightly thereby providing a flat cupwhich permanently retains its partially open shape when it is withdrawn from a container for use. Because of the permanent outwardly curved shaperof the two sides of the cup, a slight inward pressure applied to Q the folded edges of a cup will invariably open the cup completely, thus making it unnecessary to insert anything into the cup while the cupopening pressure is applied to the folded edges toinsure that the cup will be properly opened.

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated in the. drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view on a small scale showing the device from the front. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through one of the containers.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 55,

Fig. 1, looking toward the bottom of the sheetag Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a view of the fiat cup when it is first made.

Fig. 8 is a view of the cup after it has been formed in its nested relation.

Referring first to Fig. 7, I indicates a flat cup made by folding a blank of paper into cup shape with the edges 2 and 3 overlapping and adhesively secured together, the bottom of the cup being closed by folding a flap 4 upwardly against the side of the cup and adhesively uniting it thereto.

When cups of this sort are delivered from the machine which folds the blank and adhesively unites the overlapping edges 2 and 3, the cup cup ofthis type is to be used, it is opened by applying an inward pressure to the folded edges 5 and 6, and inorder to insure that the application of such inward pressure will invariably open the cup by spreading the two sides I and 8, without the necessity of inserting anything into the cup to assist in the opening operation, I have provided a forming device adapted to act onfa stack of nested fiat cups and to hold said cups in a partially open condition while the adhesive securing together the overlapping edges of each cup is drying, so'that when the adhesive has set, the cup will have been given a permanent partially opened shape such as shown in Fig. 8, in which each side I and 8 of the cup has a permanent outwardly curved shape.

Cups having this construction may be dispensed singly from a container or magazine containing a stack of nested cups, and when each cup is removed from the container, it will have a partially open shape so that an inward pressure applied to the two folded edges 5 and 6 will invariably open the cup.

Thecup-forming device embodying my invention and which is herein illustrated is a boxlike member 9 having a cup-receiving chamber i0 adapted to receive a stack of cups. The two adjacent sides II and I2 ofsaid chamber meet at the corner or apex l3 and form between them an angle, which may be somewhat greater than less thanthe width of the flat cup shown in Fig. 7, as measured between the corners I8 .and I9.

, Situated in the chamber 10 at one end of the forming member 9 is a core member 20 which has a shape corresponding to the shape of the inside of the cup, as shown in Fig. 8. This core member has the convexly rounded sides 2|. This core member has a tapering shape and progressively decreases in size from the larger or base end 22 to the smaller or tip end 23. The

smaller end 23 has a fiat sharp edge which corresponds to the shape of the bottom of the cup I.

In using the device, a stack of loosely nested cups in their substantially flat condition is placed in the chamber ID with the end cup inserted over the core 26, this operation serving to open will have a flat shape shown in-Fig. '7. When a the end cup and give it the general shape of the core. The cups of the stack are then forced into closely nested relation by applying to the end of the stack opposite the core a pressure tending to force the cups toward the core.

The forming device is provided with means to engage the end of the stack and maintain it in its condensed condition with the cups pressed firmly against each other and against the core.

The stack of loosely nested cups is placed in the forming device as soon as they are delivered from the machine which folds the blanks and applies adhesive to the overlapping edges, and before the adhesive has dried or set.

The stack of cups is placed in the chamber ID with the folded corners of the cup in engagement with the corners l3 and N3 of the chamber, and since the dimension between the corners l3 and it of the chamber is less than the distance between the corners IB and IQ of the cup when the latter is in its flat condition, the confining of the stack of cups in the chamber Ifl forces the folded edges of the cups toward each other somewhat, and this, together with the nesting of the cups and the presence of the core 20, serves to maintain all the cups in a partially open condition.

It is contemplated that the stack 50 of nested cups will remain in the former 9 until the adhesive has fully set, at which time the stack of cups may be removed from the former and placed in a magazine or container for shipment or dispensing. Since the cups are held in the partially open shape while the cement is drying, each cup will have been thus given a permanent partially open shape as shown in Fig. 8, so that when any cup is removed from a stack of nested cups,

said cup will be invariably opened by simply ap plying light pressure to the opposite folded edges 5 and 6 thereof.

To facilitate the placing of the stack of cups in the chamber I0, I propose to divide the forming element 9 longitudinally to form the two half sections 24, 25, and it will be convenient to have the sections hinged together, as shown at 26, so that they can be easily opened from each other. The sections can be held in their closed relation by any suitable spring catch device 21.

The core member is shown as secured to the half section 24, and while this may be done in any appropriate way, I have shown said core member as having a flange 28 rigid therewith which sets into a recess formed therefor in the half section 24 and which is secured to the section 24 by suitable screws 29. In loading a stack of nested cups into the former, the latter will be opened and then the stack of nested cups may be placed in position in the half section 24 with the end cup of the stack fitting over the core 20 and with the folded edges on one side of the cups lying in the apex or corner It. The stack of cups is then condensed longitudinally by applying pressure to the end 30 of the stack to crowd the cups toward the core '20. 3| indicates a retaining member which is adapted to engage the end cup of the stack when the stack is in its I have stated above that the transverse dimension between the corners 1'3 and I6 of the chamber I0 is slightly less than the width of the flat cup when in its flat condition shown in Fig. 7, that is, it is slightly less than the distance between the corners l8 and I9 of the flat cup. Consequently, when the two sections 24 and 25 are closed and latched together, after the stack of cups has been placed in the section 24, the closing of the sections causes a pressure to be applied to the opposite corners of the stack of nested cups where such corners engage the corners l3 and I6 of the chamber I0, and the application of this transverse pressure on the stack of cups serves as an additional means for holding the cups of th stack in their partially opened condition.

Furthermore, the compressing of the stack of cups longitudinally causes each cup to apply pressure to the overlapping edges 2 and 3 of the cup onto which it is nested so that while the stack of cups is retained in the former 9, the overlapping edges 2 and 3 of all of the cups of the stack will be held pressed tightly together.

When the stack of cups is thus condensed in the direction of its length and the cups are open somewhat by being closely nested together, there will occur a slight slippage between the overlapping edges 2 and 3 of each cup while the side 8 of the cup is being given its curved shape. This slippage occurs because at the time that the stack of cups is being condensed in the direction of its length, the adhesive has not yet set. The slippage which occurs is very small in amount but is suiiicient to insure that the side 8 of the cup will be given a permanent outwardly curved shape.

I propose to use forming devices such as above described in connection with a machine for folding and making the cups and as the adhesive which I propose to use requires a moderate time for drying, it will be necessary to use a plurality of these forming devices 9 to accommodate the cups which are delivered from a single machine. I have, therefore, shown in Fig. l a plurality of such forming elements 9 which are mounted on endless sprocket chains 34 that operate around sprocket wheels 35 carried by a suitable frame 35. This frame may be situated adjacent a machine for folding cups and adhesively uniting the edges 2 and 3, such machine being indicated diagrammatically at 31. This machine is provided with a magazine 38 into which the individual cups are delivered in a loosely nested condition. The endless chain devices 34 are connected to the machine 31 so as to be driven thereby and in timed relation therewith so that the endless chains 34 will have a slow movement. As herein shown, the shaft of the lower sprocket wheel 35 has a worm gear 39 fast thereon Which is operated by a worm 40 carried on a shaft 4: that is connected and driven by some rotating part of the machine 31. In using the device as shown in Fig. 1, the operator will open each forming box 9 as it reaches a loading position and will place therein a stack containing a predetermined number of cups, as above described, after which the forming element will be closed and latched in its closed condition. The movement of the sprocket chains 34 is so regulated that by the time the next-forming element 9 has moved into loading position, there will have been delivered from the machine 31 into the magazine 38 another lot of cups containing said predetermined number, and the operator will then open the forming element 9 which is then in loading position and remove the stack of loosely nested cups from the magazine 38 and place it in said other former 9 with the stack of cups condensed lengthwise, after which said element 9 may also be closed. This operation is repeated until each of the forming elements 9 contains its stack of cups. By the time any element 9 has made the complete circuit of the endless chain 34, the cups therein will be fully dried so that as each forming element 9 reaches loading position, it can be opened, and the stack of cups therein removed and replaced by another stack of freshly made cups taken from the magazine 38.

I claim:

1. A device for shaping nested flat cups comprising a container having an elongated cupreceiving chamber adapted to receive a stack of nested fiat cups, a tapered core member permanently and stationarily located within said chamber at one end thereof and adapted to enter the cup at one end of a stack of nested cups which is placed in said chamber, and means within said chamber adapted to engage the other end of the stack of nested flat cups and hold said cups in tightly nested relation with the core member filling the end cup of the stack, said core member holding said end cup in partially opened condition and each succeeding cup of the stack being held similarly in partially opened condition by the cup Which is nested therein.

2. A device for shaping nested fiat cups comprising a container having an elongated cupreceiving chamber adapted to receive a stack of nested fiat cups, a tapered core member permanently and stationarily located within said chamber at one end thereof, and means within said chamber for engaging one end of a stack of nested fiat cups and holding said cups in tightly nested relation with the core member filling the end cup at the other end of the stack, said core member holding said end cup in partially opened condition and each succeeding cup of the stack being held similarly in partially opened condition by the cup which is nested therein, the transverse dimension of said chamber in the direction from one edge to the other of the stack of nested cups being slightly less than the width of any cup when in its flat condition, whereby the stack of nested cups is held compressed transversely.

3. A device for shaping nested fiat cups comprising a container formed in two parts, each part having a V-shaped recess extending longitudinally thereof, means for holding the two parts in closed relation with the recesses registering with each other and together forming an elongated cup-receiving chamber, a tapered core fixedly secured to one part of the container and adapted to fit into and give shape to the cup at one end of a stack of nested flat cups, and

means engaging the other end of the stack and holding the cups of the stack in closely nested relation with the cup at the first-named end of the stack enclosing the core member.

4. A device for shaping nested flat cups comprising a container formed in two parts, each part having a V-shaped recess extending longitudinally thereof, means for holding the two parts in closed relation with the recesses in re,,- istering relation and together forming an elongated cup-receiving chamber, a tapered core fixedly secured to one part of the container and adapted to fit into and give shape to the cup at one end of a stack of nested flat cups, and a V-shaped retaining member engaging the other end of the stack and holding the cups of the stack in closely nested relation with the cup at the first-named end of the stack enclosing the core member, the dimension of the cup-receivingchamber from the apex of one V-shaped recess to the apex of the other recess being slightly less than the width of the cups when in their flat condition.

5. A device for shaping nested flat cups comprising an elongated container divided longitudinally into two sections, means hinging the sections together, each section being formed with a. V-shaped recess extending longitudinally thereof, which recesses, when the sections are in closed relation, form an elongated cup-receiving. chamber adapted to receive a stack of nested flat cups, a tapered core member stationarily carried by one section adjacent one end thereof, and means engaging one end of a stack of nested fiat cups in said chamber and holding said cups in closely nested relation with the cup at the other end of the stack fitting over said core member.

6. The method of shaping flat paper cups which have been formed by folding a. blank into cup shape with the edges of the blank overlapping on one side of the cup and adhesively secured together, which method comprises arranging a plurality of fiat cups in nested relation before the adhesive sets, thereby to form a stack of nested cups, placing the end cup of the stack over a tapered core member and while the adhesive is still soft and said end cup is still over the core member condensing the stack in the direction of its length, thereby expanding each cup and causing the overlapping adhesively united portions thereof to slide slightly on each other, and maintaining the stack in such condensed condition until the adhesive is fully set.

7. The method of shaping flat paper cups which have been formed by folding a blank into cup shape and with the edges of the blank overlapping on one side of the cup and adhesively secured together, which method comprises arranging a plurality of fiat cups in nested relation before the adhesive sets, thereby to form a stack of nested cups, placing the end cup of the stack over a tapered core member and while the adhesive is. still soft and said end cup is still over the core member condensing the stack in the direction of its length, thereby expanding each cup and causing the overlapping adhesively united portions thereof to slide slightly on each other, subjecting the stack of cups to transverse pres sure along the edges of the stack and maintaining the stack in such condition until the adhesive is fully set.

SIDNEY M. SCOTT. 

